Chapter One: The Illegitimate Son of the Divine General's Mansion

“Study, study, study,”
“You clearly know he’s no scholar, yet you forced him to study,”
“And now look, he jumped off the building—he’s gone. Are you satisfied?”

South Wing of Huaxi Manor.

The matriarch had shed her usual gentle demeanor. Trembling, she pointed a finger at the old master, who hung his head in shame. Her aged eyes seemed to blaze with fury.

She took a deep breath and scolded him again:

“Does Ji An really need to study?”

“Though the Kaiyang General’s Mansion has declined somewhat over the years, with Huaxi Manor and the thousand acres of fertile land beyond it, isn’t that enough to secure Ji An’s future?”

“Chen Linyuan, you’ve gone senile!”

“The child was named Ji An, meaning ‘small fortune,’ by imperial decree from Her Majesty the Empress the moment he was born. Don’t you understand the meaning behind the name?”

“You’ve spent your whole life studying, but it’s all gone to waste!”

“I ask you, how do you plan to resolve this now?”

...

Within the vast Huaxi Manor, the servants were all silent as death, subdued by the young master’s demise and the matriarch’s wrath.

Cuihong stood tensely by the bed in the bedroom, clutching the hem of her gown tightly. Her anxiety was not so much about the corpse on the bed, but because this was the first time in thirteen years of serving the young master that she had witnessed the matriarch’s anger.

The matriarch’s fury at the old master over a bastard child was perhaps because the young master had been raised solely by her.

After all, the old master, residing in the imperial capital, had only returned twice in thirteen years.

On those two occasions, he spoke only two sentences to the young master.

The first: “Hmm... you’ve grown a little taller.”

The second: “You’ll stay in Lin’an for life. Not being good at studying isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

There was no warmth between father and son in those words.

To Cuihong’s ears, they lacked any affection whatsoever.

It was not surprising—word had it that the great madam of the Kaiyang General’s Mansion in the imperial capital had a complex background and a strong will, and she was clearly bothered by the old master’s illegitimate son.

The old master treated this bastard son with cold indifference. Since he had said the young master would remain in Lin’an for life, that was likely the great madam’s final boundary.

As for not being able to study, that probably meant the young master’s lack of talent would keep the great madam from paying him any mind.

The great madam didn’t even glance at Huaxi Manor; the Kaiyang General’s Mansion in the capital was enough to keep her at ease.

Thankfully, there was the matriarch.

It was said that the moment the young master was born, the matriarch brought him to Lin’an. Under her doting care, he lived a carefree seventeen years—

Though “carefree” was not quite the right word.

The young master simply loved to play.

For instance, he enjoyed cricket fights.

He liked sitting under the trees watching ants.

And in recent years, as he grew older, he took pleasure in visiting the teahouses of Qingyu Alley during the spring and summer, observing the flamboyant young ladies of Lin’an.

In terms of character, Cuihong believed the young master’s nature was not bad at all.

He never abused his status as the young master of the Kaiyang General’s Mansion or Huaxi Manor to do wrong!

He was timid.

His heart was fragile.

And kind.

For example, he never acted superior to the servants of Huaxi Manor.

Perhaps because of this, two years ago when the old master returned and had a long conversation with the matriarch, Cuihong happened to overhear a few sentences the old master said—

“Ji An is too naive and weak. Taking him to the imperial capital would do more harm than good. Let him live his life here in Lin’an.”

“In two years, he’ll be seventeen, and the An family’s daughter is already of marriageable age.”

“Though the young lady’s talents grow ever greater, the marriage contract stands firm. The An family is a family of scholars; Master An would not go back on his word.”

“When I return to the capital, I’ll visit Master An again. Two years later, we’ll arrange Ji An’s marriage and fulfill his mother’s wishes...”

Cuihong continued staring out the window, sighing softly. She thought of the An family’s young lady, whose reputation had already spread far and wide—even in Lin’an there were legends about her—

Not just for her literary talent!

But for her increasingly breathtaking beauty!

Among the four great beauties of the land, the An family’s daughter was one of them!

Could the young master ever be worthy of such a woman?

Now, such thoughts were pointless. The young master... was already dead.

Sighing, Cuihong bowed her head, mourning the young master she had served for thirteen years.

He was truly no scholar.

The matriarch had once hired tutors, including Master Jiang, the most renowned scholar at Lin’an Academy.

But even Master Jiang spent three whole years and only managed to teach the young master thirty characters!

Ashamed, Master Jiang left, returning all the matriarch’s fees with a message: “I am ashamed and unworthy to polish such a precious jade. I beg the matriarch not to mention that I was ever Ji An’s tutor.”

The young master was twelve then.

Cuihong remembered the matriarch’s long silence upon hearing this.

That day, the sun shone brightly.

The matriarch watched the young master playing cricket under the banyan tree for a long time.

She smiled.

She sighed.

And said simply, “Yes, small fortune Ji An, growing up happy and carefree, living a life of innocent ignorance... that’s quite enough!”

From then on, the matriarch never hired a tutor for the young master again, and he was happy for another five years.

Until three months ago.

The old master, who served at the Hanlin Academy in the imperial capital, had retired and returned to Lin’an.

It was said that the old master held the post of reader at the Hanlin Academy, a scholar of vast knowledge, comparable to the five great scholars of the Great Zhou dynasty... his learning was undoubtedly profound.

Seeing his grandson—albeit an illegitimate one—now at the age of seventeen yet idle and reckless, the old master was naturally displeased.

They say dragons beget dragons, phoenixes beget phoenixes, and mice beget those who dig holes. With such genius, the old master naturally wished the young master to possess some literary grace.

“There is no rotten wood that cannot be carved!”

“Besides, he may not be rotten wood at all!”

“He might go to the capital someday. He must not be as crude as he is now, or he will be mocked by those in the imperial city!”

It was likely along these lines that things had transpired.

The young master lost his joy, was locked away in the study tower, and just last night, he leapt from the third floor of that very tower...

Nearly all the renowned physicians in Lin’an were summoned by the matriarch to the manor.

The young master’s head struck the ground.

The garden beneath the study tower had soft soil, but there happened to be a stone.

His head struck that very stone.

The wound was small, but despite the doctors’ efforts through the night, by dawn they all shook their heads and left.

“Life has left him; there is no hope. Prepare for the funeral.”

The young master was dead.

The matriarch was furious.

The old master... was at a loss.

Had the old master been wrong?

Perhaps this was the desperate hope for his grandson to become a dragon.

Even if he couldn’t become a dragon, at least a snake would do.

Since he was illegitimate, the titles and wealth of the Kaiyang General’s Mansion naturally did not belong to him, but Huaxi Manor and its estates were acquired by the matriarch after coming to Lin’an.

The matriarch had long decreed these would be his.

Indeed, they could ensure a lifetime of wealth and honor.

If only he had some talent as well, that would have been best.

Alas, perhaps this was fate.

Why would he despair enough to jump?

Just as Cuihong lowered her head in sorrow, a voice suddenly came to her ears—

“Where... is this?”

“Quick... help me up!”

Startled, Cuihong spun around, eyes wide, face instantly pale, clutching her gown even tighter!

She saw that familiar, pale-as-paper face!

That familiar face’s eyes, once tightly shut, were now open!

Still so clear.

Clear, yet tinged with confusion.

Cuihong released her grip on her gown and covered her small mouth, yet still let out a startled cry, “Ah!”

Only hesitating a moment, she turned and dashed out the door.

“Matriarch, old master, the young master—”

The matriarch’s angry roar abruptly stopped.

“What happened to him?”

The old master stepped forward. “What happened to him?”

“The young master... he seems to have come back to life!”